Bears03
Freshman
Posts: 10
Age: 33
Reg: 02-23-12
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02-23-12 05:26 PM - Post#121865
In response to Bear34
Juco24 – I think everyone here agrees that there is more to the college basketball experience than simply winning. Speaking candidly, I was a role player at most during my years - in fact you’d be hard pressed to find my name in many box scores at all. Some of that was due to injury, and most of it a straight up lack of talent, but it sure as hell wasn’t a lack of focus, effort, or determination. Those three things are what every player on the team had in common and formed the bonds that have lasted long beyond senior day.
The majority of players, fans, and alumni will always support Brown, in good times and bad. I’m confident Bear34 is no different. The issue that I respectfully think you’re overlooking (Middlebury may rival College Hill liberals) is that for the coaching staff wins need to be paramount to everything else. There is no second place trophy, and there sure isn't an 8th.
Remember the scene in Goodfellas where the bar owner starts working with Paulie? Any trouble with the cops or deliveries, he can call Paulie. But now the guy's gotta come up with Paulie's money every week no matter what. Business bad? F you, pay me. Oh, you had a fire? F you, pay me. Place got hit by lightning huh? F you, pay me.
That’s the same mentality I place on the coaching staff. The players, fans, and alumni will buy in whole heartedly with all their available resources. The coaching staff have the expectation, responsibility, and accountability to win regardless of the myriad of potential excuses. In return, their results will lead to their appropriate reward.
Miller turned the program around from 99 to 05 with league finishes of 7th, 4th, 2nd, 2nd, 7th, 4th. He was rewarded with the shot at Penn in 06.
Robinson had two great years in 06 and 07, finishing in 5th and 2nd place with a record 19 wins in 07. He was rewarded with the shot at Oregon St in 08.
Agel has had 4 years so far, with finishes of 8th, 6th, 7th, and a unfortunately it’s looking like a reach goal for 7th this year. His combined record is 38-76 for a .333 win percentage. That’s approaching Happy Dobbs illustrious .322, and I’m not sure that’s a place we want to end up again. Sure there have been injuries this year, but does that also paint the full picture of the 3 years before that? Great recruits are always only one year away, aren’t they? Given these results, what is the appropriate reward?
What’s our outlook for next year? The team is only losing 1 player to graduation, they’ll get a few back from injury or ineligibility, and they’ll get a few new bodies. Great! Agel and co might be able to crack .500 with those tailwinds. But that’s all going to happen no matter who is at the helm. I’d love to focus our collective positive energy to go search out the next Miller, or Robinson, or Donahue, or Amaker. Give them a team to start with, and time to recruit with what’s likely going to be a winning record next year. To use your analogy, those guys were an investment in the long term future of their teams, and given the last 4 years down markets it might be time to review the outlook.
Edited by Bears03 on 02-23-12 05:29 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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